Anybody ever dealt with the Copyright Clearance Center?

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I received a letter today from the Copyright Clearance Center asking me to fill out a W-9 tax form (means it would have my social security #) because they have a royalty check they need to pay to me. I have a small business writing and selling teaching resources so it's not entirely out of left field.

I have done a ton of googling and have not found anything that equates them with a scam. I did exchange some correspondence with them today asking for more details and they had detailed information about one of my products and their explanation sounds plausible.

Online the BBB gives them an A+ and I am finding several college websites, including Stanford University, that has them listed as a place to receive copyright approval for academic use.

I am still a bit wary about giving out my SS# out of the blue like this. Does anyone have any experience with the CCC or have any insight to share?

Thank you!!

 

[cmwade77]

Hmm, sounds fishy to me. But I see them as a legitimate company, just make sure it really is from them. Call ans ask LOTS of questions. You could also run it by Clark Howard (listening to his show, he seems to know all of this stuff).

 

[galen.craft]

I think you better research a lot before going ahead with this one. It looks fishy no doubt. Better check the ownership of that site and check the validity of the claim.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I checked with the US Copyright office which was a pain frankly! If you want them to answer questions on the phone they need to charge you but she directed me to the website and told me what to use for the search words and I was able to get a little info. All the addresses and names matched what I have in the letter. Basically this is a non-profit that was created after the Copyright Act of 1976. Here's the Wiki entry (I read about it on many other sites as well!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Clearance_Center

I post on another forum and was advised by several people there to get an EIN from the IRS that I can use in place of my SS# for business forms such as these. I think I will go that route so I don't have to give my SS#.